Combined mantel-shelf and clothes-rack



(No ModL') (LW. PARKS.

GOMBINED MANTEL SHELF AND CLOTHES RACK.

No. 509,242 Patented Nov. 21, 1 893.

WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE W. PARKS, OF LOWELL, MICHIGAN.

COMBINED MANTEL-SHELF AND CLOTHES-RACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 509,242, dated November 21, 1893. Application filed December 15, 1892- $erial No. 455,269. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it'known that I, CLARENCE W. PARKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lowell, in the county of Kent and State ofMichigan, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Mantel-Shelf. and Clothes-Rack; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a combined mantel shelf and clothes drier, and one of the objects in view is to provide a simple, neat and inexpensive contrivanceby which small articles can be hung up to dry when the rack is unfolded and at the same time provide for the compact folding of the rack within the limits of the mantel shelf so that the rack will be concealed from view and out of the way.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for holding the rack at any desired extended position so that it need only be drawn out from the mantel shelf far enough to hold the desired number of articles.

A further object is to so construct the rack that the cross slats and the webbing are united to prevent splitting of the bars under the weight of the articles placed thereon and at the same time small looped articles of wearing apparel can be hung from the devices which unite the cross slats and the webbing.

With these ends in view, theinvention consists in the combination ofdevices, and construction and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter fully describedand particularly pointed out in the claims.

I have illustrated my invention in the ac-j companying drawings, forming apart of this specification, and in which Figure 1-is a perspective view of my man tel-shelf and clothes rack, showing the rack unfolded or drawn out from the shelf. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the plane indicated by the dotted line 00a; of Fig. 1, showing the clothes rack drawn down or unfold ed. Fig. 3 is a detail view, showing a part of the mantel-shelf and spring roller in longitudinal section, and illustrating the means for looking said roller. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of a part of the foldable rack showing the hook-shaped end-cap, a part of one slat, anda part of the pliable web disconnected from each other. Fig. 5 is a detached perspective View of the sliding rack. Fig. 6 is a detail view showing a modified construction of the means for rotating the roller to wind the foldable rack thereon.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings, referring to which I r .I

A designates the mantel shelf, which consists of the top a, the depending 'side pieces, 17, b, and the depending some, all of which are rigidly united together in any. suitable manner. This mantel shelf may be constructed in any ornamental or other preferred style, and it is adapted to be suspended from the walls of a room by hooks engaging with nails or any other equivalent way.

B is the roller or drum around which the foldable rack C is adapted to be wound or coiled. This roller has a shaft, or trunnions at its ends, which are journaled in the ends I), b, of the mantel-shelf, said roller being located a suitable distance in rear of the depending front c-of said mantel-shelf.

At or near one end of the roller-B is secured a head or face plate D which is arranged to rotate or turn with the drum, and through this faceplate is provided a series of spaced apertures, 11, in one of which fits the inner end of a spring-actuated locking bolt, E. This bolt isconfined within a suitable case or housing E which is fixed outside of one ofthe ends, I), of the mantel shelf, and. the bolt E plays freely through the inner :end of the housing and through an opening provided in the end, b, of the mantel shelf so that the inner end of the-bolt can easily take into one of the apertures in the head or face plate D of the roller. The outer end of the spring-actuated bolt protrudes beyond the outer end of the housing, to enable it to be readily grasped by the fingers to retract the bolt from engagement with the head of the roller; and around the bolt is fitted a coiled spring c which acts against a shoulder on the bolt to normally impel it toward the perforated head or face plate. r

The foldable rack C consists of two or more parallel pieces, f, f, of pliable webbing or other suitable material, and a series of transverse slats or bars g, g, which are spaced at suitable intervals and secured to the stripsf, f, in a novel manner. The ends of the slats or bars are provided with the notches or recesses, h, h, and in these notches are fitted the pliable strips 9, 9. Over the ends of the bars or slats are fitted the straps or caps H, made of metal, in the U shape form shown by Fig. 5; and through the caps, the notched ends of the bars, and the pliable strips are passed transverse rivets, z', or other suitable fastenings. The parts are thus securely united together, and the ends of the slats are prevented from splitting or breaking under the weight of the articles placed on the rack. These end plates or caps forming the connection between the pliable strips and the cross slats are provided with hooks j which extend upwardly from the end caps, and thus a series of hooks is provided along each side of the rack, from which hooks a number of small articles can be hung for drying purposes.

The roller 13 may be actuated by a spiral spring I contained within the same, for the purpose of turning the roller in order to wind the foldable rack thereon when the roller is free from the locking bolt. However, I may dispense with this spring, and use in lieu thereof the pull cord J which is adapted to be coiled around the roller in the reverse direction to the rack, so that when the rack is drawn down for use the pull cord will be wound thereon. This pull cord is of such length that its free end protrudes below the mantel shelf when the rack is drawn for use, and when it is desired to fold the rack on the roller, it is only necessary to pull on the free end of the cord, which thus turns the roller and causes the rack to be wound thereon, it being understood that the spring bolt is first disengaged by pulling the same outward so as to free it from the perforated head or face plate D on the roller.

The end cross slat of the foldable rack is provided with projecting hooks 70, k, which are adapted to engage with similar projections It provided within the mantel-shelf, the projections 70' being arranged in the path of the hooks k, 70, so as to engage with the latter when the rack is rolled upon the roller and thus prevent the rack from turning completely. around with the roller when in the act of winding the rack on the roller.

In the depending front 0 of the mantelshelf are provided two openings Z, Z, and in these openings are fitted the end bars of a horizontal sliding rack L which is free to be moved into and out of the mantelshelf. The cross bar of this rack L lies normally outside of the depending front of the mantel-shelf, and when it is desired to hang small articles from this rack it is only necessary to draw the rack out from the mantel shelf, the end bars sliding freely in the apertures Z, Z. To prevent the rack from being drawn entirely out from the mantel-shelf I have provided the end bars with hooks m on the inner ends thereof, and these hooks are adapted to engage with the fixed stops it provided on the inner faces of the ends 17 b of the mantel shelf.

The operation is as follows: To unfold the rack for use, it is only necessary to withdraw the locking bolt from the perforated head or face plate, and pull down on the rack until the desired number of cross slats are exposed to view below the mantel-shelf, after which the bolt is released and again takes into one of the apertures in the face-plate, to lock the rack at the desired position. The fabrics can now be hung from the bars or slats and the hooks at the ends of the slats until they have dried, after which the rack can be again folded compactly within the mantel shelf, which is accomplished by first withdrawing the locking bolt and then allowing the spring to turn the roller and roll the rack thereon or by pulling on the pull cord to turn the roller. The horizontal sliding rack can be drawn out from the shelf when it is desired to dry only a few articles.

As another means for rotating the roller, to wind or unwind the flexible rack, I may extend one end of the shaft of said roller through one of the end pieces of the mantel shelf, and to said extended end of the shaft of said roller a crank M is secured, said crank being provided with a suitable handle whereby it can be easily rotated to wind up the flexible rack. To unfold the rack, it is only necessary to release the locking bolt and pull down on the rack, which will then readily unwind from the roller as the latter rotates.

In lieu of the hooks or eyes fitting over nails and screws to suspend the mantel shelf on the wall, I may adopt the suspending hangers shown by Fig. l of the drawings. A long slot is cut in the top of the mantel shelf, near its back edge, as at 0, and this slot terminates at points situated a suitable distance from the ends of the top, nails or other devices being passed through the rear edge of the top, at points beyond the slot, to prevent the wood from splitting. A bar 0 is thus formed at the rear edge of the mantel-shelf, and beneath this bar are fitted the hangers 0, consisting of flat pieces of metal, bent into shape to take beneath the bar and with their forward ends fitting in the slot. The rear vertical arm of the hanger is perforated for the passage of the fastening nail or screw. By this construction of the top of the mantel shelf and the hanger, the latter can be adjusted lengthwise on the bar 0 until it reaches one of the vertical studdings of the wall, and the nail can then be forced through the hanger, the plaster and into the studdings, thus firmly securing the mantel shelf and rack to the wall without the liability of breaking the plaster.

Having thus fully described my invention,r c

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a mantel-shelf and a roller, of a foldable rack consisting of the pliable strips, a series of cross slats notched at their ends and receiving the said strips, and the end-caps fitted over the ends of the slats and united thereto and t0 the strips, substantially as described. 7

2. A mantel-shelf and clothes-rack, comprising the shelf having the depending walls forming an inclosure, open at its lower side, a roller arranged wholly within the inclosure formed by said shelf and journaled therein, and the foldable rack- 0 attached at one end to said roller and having the notched slats, the pliable webs fitted in said notches of the slats, and the straps or caps united -to the notched ends of the slats and having, at their outer ends, the'integral hooks,j, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination with a mantel shelf, and a roller journaled therein of the pliable rack,

substantially such as herein shown and dey scribed, comprising the transverse slats provided with the notches in the ends thereof, the pliable side webs fitted in said notched ends of the slats, and the caps fitted over said notched ends of the slats, and united, by trans- Verse fastenings, to said slats and the pliable webs, as set forth.

4:. The combination with a mantel-shelf and a roller, of a foldable rack attached to the roller and having its end-slat or bar provided with the hooks, k, and the stops secured within the mantel-shelf and arranged in the path of said hooks k on the rack, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' CLARENCE W. PARKS. Witnesses:

S. P. HIoKs, ELLA B. WILEY. 

